Tough love
by Miss-Emilie-Hale
Summary: Caius comes across Athenodora at a ball in Greece but he can't keep her human while he gets to know her so he changes her and takes her back to Italy with him where she is to learn about vampires and love.
1. Chapter 1

The sun had sunk behind the horizon and the stars had been made visible to me as the sky darkened into the night. Greece looked peaceful and content as the busy working day drew to and end only to reawaken with new life as twilight took its hold on the small city of Athens.

The grand ball was tonight and my uncle being the host had persuaded me to attend the frightful event. Dancing wasn't my forte and I wasn't the most social person and I found it hard to mingle with strangers and men who thought I was somewhat attractive. As many women I believe that I am a normal classed woman with an average face, body and features but men seem to think on a different brain wave when it comes to though types of situations.

My corset was pulled tight and the bodice of my dress hugged my form exaggerating all my curves before it flared out at my hips and fell with ripples to brush the floor, the sapphire material glistened in the light from the candles that littered my room. I had the necklace my mother had given me before she and my father had run away together leaving me with my very loving but strict aunt and uncle, the necklace was heavily laden with crystals and right in the centre was a beautiful diamond that shone with the colours of the rainbow when the light hit its delicate surface. My dark blonde hair was pulled up into high ponytail with the same shade of sapphire ribbon, the ends twirled with natural ringlets as the odd stand framed my face.

The knock on the door withdrew me from the window and away from the starry sky, my uncle stood at the door his velvet green waist coat brought colour to his rather lifeless dress suit and ruffled shirt. His hair was sleeked back and his moustache had been trimmed and combed to perfection and his white gloves stood out against the black sleeves of his dress jacket. "Athenodora you look wonderful this evening." My uncle chimed and I smiled at him.

"Thank you uncle." He held out his arm for me to take as he escorted me down the corridor towards the stairs, my aunt and cousin were waiting for us.

Luis my cousin always took interest in me as he always had the honour of escorting me to balls and events, if I did not find a suitable husband soon I would have to marry him and he was hoping that I wouldn't find anyone as he wanted me badly but if there was one thing I would get out of finding a husband it would be getting out of a life stuck with him. My uncle passed my arm over to Luis and he smiled taking my hand and kissing my fingers lightly, "You look truly stunning this evening Dora." He said using the shortened version of my name. I nodded to him with a small smile as my aunt and uncle both addressed me.

"There will an awful lot of eligible suitors here tonight and we have three very important guests from Italy here so try hard to find someone who likes you." My aunt said. I merely nodded as there was no point in any comment as I had previously gone through the list about how many men had taken interest in me but I did not find any of them to my liking which surely had to be on the same level to make the pairing fair. The doors opened and the ballroom was full of women in dresses and smart looking men, the band was placed in the corner their bright red uniforms stood out against all the men's black dress suits.

Luis almost pulled me down the stairs I had been standing looking around when it was our cue to move, thank fully I didn't fall but didn't realise that we were walking to the back of the room. Both my aunt and uncle stopped along with Luis but I almost walked into my aunt as my feet carried on moving on their own. "What is wrong with you this evening?" Luis hissed quietly and I pulled my arm out of his which made him grit his teeth in annoyance.

"My Lords please may I introduce you to my niece Athenodora." My uncle said and my head snapped round to see three men dressed by far in the nicest dress suits and waist coats made from expensive silks and velvets. I curtsied low and bowed my head. One of the men took my hand and pulled me back up to my full height as he brushed my fingers with his lips looking into my eyes with his.

He was tall at least six foot or more and his white blonde hair brushed his shoulders, his face was flawless, his lips thin and pale and his eyes shone a bright crimson which contrasted his pale face and features. He was wearing a sleek black dress suit and a dark maroon waist coat that was embroidered with silk, the ruffles of his shirt spread out at the top making him look like royalty when it came to dressing with perfection. His lips curled into a smile as he still held onto my hand, "Athenodora, please may I have this first dance." He asked.

"Of course." I said quietly and he led me on to the allocated dance floor that would soon be filled. The first dance was a waltz so he took my right hand in his and his left held my waist while I rested my hand on the skirt of my dress so when we started moving I wouldn't trip up.

The music flowed through the room and we moved together as if we were one twirling slowly round and round, I forgot that we were in a room full of people as I was solemnly focused on the man in front of me. "What's your name?" I asked him. "Caius, Caius Volturi but my name does not deserve to be said in the same sentence as your, more beautiful and deserving one. Athenodora." My name seemed to roll off his tongue like silk and his sentence made me blush which he chuckled at. "What's the matter?" I questioned and he pulled me slightly closer to him. "Nothing is the matter my dear it's just that when you blush you look even more beautiful than you already are." He said and I couldn't help but blush again at his words. We danced for the next five songs just talking and chatting before one of the other lords came.

"Caius, dear brother may I steal you partner." Caius nodded and kissed my hand again before handing my hand over to the other lord who clamed himself as Caius' brother. "Athenodora I see my brother has taken a keen liking in you." He said twirling me around. He had long midnight black hair that hung down across his shoulders, his skin was also flawless and his eyes were the same shade of crimson as Caius', it must be a genetic thing.

"May I ask your name?" I said and he smiled showing pearly white teeth. "My name is Aro and our other brother is Marcus but I should introduce him to you as he's not the most sociable person." He said dancing us over to the side of the floor then offering his arm to lead me through the crowd. Caius was standing with Marcus talking in low whispers to each other; it was surprising how they could hear anything over the music and laughter that echoed round the room. I felt almost venerable standing in the presence of the three of them, their crimson eyes staring at me as if trying to see as deep as my soul but I held firm and waited to be introduced to Marcus as Aro still held my arm in his.

"Athenodora is Aro's dancing not up to your standard?" Marcus joked with a short laugh and I couldn't help but smile at its wonderful sound. They were all smiling, a smile riddled with secrets untold to me but one of which they all knew and obviously found amusing.

"May I ask what you find so amusing?" I questioned and the smile drained from Caius' face but stayed plastered on both the perfect faces of Aro and Marcus. I quickly regretted posing my question as I did not want to see Caius not looking as happy as he just had, it was a strange feeling of longing as he stood only a mere meter away from me, within an arms length but I would never have reached out to him not in public like this and even if we were alone I would feel self-conscious in his presence. "I'm terribly sorry I should not have been so rude." I said and looked away from his eyes as they searched for mine.

"You have nothing to apologise for, here Marcus why not show Athenodora how you rule over the dance floor." Caius said his voice like music to my ears as Marcus took my other hand leading me away from Caius and Aro back to the dance floor where couples moved together with grace such as falling snow flakes, twirling delicately round and round.

Marcus was as Caius had said truly brilliant at dancing, he moved as through the swaying couples and every time he complained on their lack of enthusiasm as he span me round and round at a quick pace that kept up with the tempo of the music. I laughed as he picked me up and span me round and he smiled a stunning smile before spinning me away from him.

I couldn't keep track of my feet as the room span before my eyes, it only stopped when I fell back into someone's chest making me gasp with shock and embarrassment as I turned to apologise to the person I had so rudely bumped into. Caius stood behind me a broad smile on his lips as he bowed to me as I stood shock with a hand over my mouth, he reached for my hand placing yet another kiss on my fingers but this time it was longer than it should have been lingering on the lace of my glove before he looked up with his eyes, levelling them with mine. He pulled my hand away from his lips and out to the right forcefully so I span round my back against his chest as his breath tickled my ear.

"Join me out side." He said his voice husky and low making me sink into him completely at his mercy as he walked us towards the side door that led out into the gardens. The cool air on my face helped as I felt the blood rush to my cheeks when Caius stopped at the edge of the balcony leaning against the rail with me sandwiched in-between.

I moved my hands along the rail and his shadowed mine before capturing them in his hands, I span round to face him and he was looking into my face with deep longing and a slight hint of pain and anger hidden within. "I'm not usually like this; I don't tend to treat humans with such care and dignity. They are lower than I so as a superior they cower at my feet afraid of what I may do to them and their pitiful families. I don't know what you can do or it's just a fault in the psychological part of my brain but I can not hurt you so in standing here like this I am so sorry for what I'm about to do but please don't be afraid as it will not last forever and as soon as its over we can get to know each other, I can understand why I feel this way but at the moment there is only one possible option to be able to proceed." The pain in his eyes split on to his face as he reached up and stroked my cheek with the back of his hand, a loving gesture that made me weak in the knees but after his little speech I no longer felt safe around him but his hand moved from my cheek to my neck.

He turned me round again so my back was pressed firmly against his chest; I was unable to move as his breath tickled the side of my neck, I went to scream but his other hand pressed to my mouth muffling my cries for help.

A shooting pain hit my neck and my hand move subconsciously to the throbbing pain but was held back by something, the pain blinded me from all outside noises, feeling and sight as I struggled to try and break free of what ever was making me unavle to move


	2. Chapter 2

**Caius' POV**

Thank goodness her screams were muffled by my hand as I could barely stand to see her in such pain. As soon as her blood had touched my lips I knew that she was the one il mio cantante, I had a hard time stopping myself from going to far and draining her completely her blood tasted like nothing I had ever tasted before. If I could have liquidised her beauty and the pull I felt towards her it would have taste like her blood and now that I had experienced, tasted her blood and seen her face I don't know how I will now live another day without it.

Athenodora withered in my arms as I held her to me, covering her mouth with my hand to muffle her screams of agony. I felt Aro place a hand on my shoulder as Athenodora continued to try and break my hold with fierce jolts as the pain of the transformation overwhelmed her weak human senses.

"Well done brother, we now have to slip out of here without looking like we just disappeared at the same time as she did." Aro said his voice full of annoyance but his eyes gave away his joy for me as he looked at Athenodora in my arms. He turned swiftly and stopped with his hand on the knob of the door, "there's a carriage waiting out the front, if you would so kindly stay with the girl, Marcus and I will apologise about our sudden departure." I nodded stiffly as he slipped back into the ball room the music and laughter floating out the door even after he closed it. I breathed in a heaving breath, inhaling Athenodora's scent at the same time making my throat burn as her blood continued to flow through her veins carrying my venom slowly and painfully through her, turning her into a monster like me, but no one that beautiful even still as a human could be such a monster.

I picked her up in my arms and ran top speed to the carriage out the front of the big glamorous villa. I laid her down carefully on the back seat so her head rested in my lap, her screams had quietened to whimpers and groans as I stroked her hair that matted her forehead. Her breathing was uneven and her heart beat furiously as her body changed into another being, constricting her from ever aging again.

Aro wasn't pleased that I had changed the girl but I could not even begin to imagine myself attempting to create a relationship with a human. Once she was change I could only then start to come on to her and hopefully make her mine, she would be mine I would make sure of it and then we would get wed and live happily together in the castle. I was pretty sure Aro and Marcus liked her and that meant whether they wanted to or not both Sulpicia and Didyme would like her too, she would be like their daughter at such a young age I doubted she was older than twenty three.

Aro and Marcus entered the carriage and it pulled away smoothly from the human filled villa that I would hopefully never see again. The only reason we had attended this stupid human event was because Aro wanted to what he called it 'mingle' with the lower societies, I didn't agree but after many pointless arguments I said yes just to stop his infernal yapping. Marcus had been all for it and he wished to take his wife along but that was one thing Aro agreed with me on, coming here was enough of a mistake but taking their precious wives with them would most likely lead to a surprise attack from some nomad coven that wanted us gone.

"She is beautiful there is no doubt on that front but she seemed to light and innocent for your liking brother." Aro mused and I continued stroking Athenodora's hair.

"Il mio cantante." Was all I said and Aro laughed, "Never thought you would be able to tell." He chimed and smoothed the fabric of his cloak out across his leg. "Marcus dear brother what do you say on the matter." Aro asking taking off his glove so he could see Marcus' thoughts.

"Your right about il cantante but you'll have to do well to win her over she's quite stubborn." Marcus said and pulled off his own glove to let Aro touch his hand briefly.

"Stubborn." I scoffed. If anyone was to be stubborn it was me and she would fall into my arms as she was almost doing as a human, she couldn't keep her eyes off me and all I would need is a little persuasion and everything would be the way it should be. Athenodora let out a scream and thrashed about so I held her down and Aro clicked his tongue in the most annoying way.

"What's wrong brother." I hissed at him and he shrugged. "Just thought you would like to know that even in the change humans have to breathe." He said nodding at my hand that was clamped over Athenodora's mouth in attempt to stop her screams. I removed my hand and she continued to scream, "One of the perks of changing into a vampire." Marcus muttered and looked out the window seemingly to ignore the sound and Aro looked at me with knowing eyes and I knew that if my way with Athenodora didn't work out he would be the first in line to put me right and tell me where I went wrong.

It took a whole day to get back to Volterra and the Volturi palace, all thanks to the human transport, I told Aro that we would have to design something quicker and more efficient as boats were now getting boring and were still as slow as anything. I stayed with Athenodora for the whole three days of her change and as I lay next to her stroking her hair I listened to her heart. It would tell me when she was about to awake into my world, a world of monsters and power but I still couldn't imagine such beauty walking beside me through all the rights and wrongs that others and I have made.

Her heart accelerated, beating in her chest like the ones of a humming bird, this was it, the last leg of the change then I would introduce myself properly and she would be mine. Marcus had no idea what he was talking about when it came to stubbornness. I was the one everyone should be worrying about. I had a reputation to uphold, a reputation that I had created over the last two thousand years and I wasn't about to change that for just a woman, was I?

Her heart stopped. I took her hand in mine and waited for her to open hers eyes, until now I hadn't realised the beauty the change had enhanced, her skin had a shine that it hadn't had when she was human, her lips were fuller, her figure had thinned slightly making her curves look more defined, her dark blonde hair fell round her face in perfectly formed ringlets that farmed her heart shaped face beautifully, over all she just looked amazing in every aspect. Athenodora opened her eyes and just stared up, it was something when you opened your eyes and saw colours that you had never seen before and the dust particles seemed to dance around, the sounds from the floor below where as crisp and clear as if the people talking were standing in the same room as you.

"Athenodora." I whispered and she sat up looking at me as if I had just asked her to go to bed with me; even though I wouldn't need to ask, because she would be begging before long.

"You." She accused and flashed to the other side of the room, she had already discovered the speed maybe not the strength though.

"Yes I am Caius do you remember?" I asked and got up off the bed and followed her to where she stood against the wall.

"Of course I remember every last thing that happened that evening and you did something to hurt me and now I….I'm like this." She said forcefully. The tone of her voice shocked me, yes it was musical and beautiful, she sang every word but they had deep hate written all over them. She didn't like me because I had turned her into something like me a monster and she didn't want it. Oh I was such an idiot.

"Athenodora please, I have good reasons to have done what I did and you will be very happy here I assure you." I said and moved closer to her and she mirrored my movements backwards until her back was against the wall.

"What are you? Or better what am I?" she asked her musical voice floating through the room.

"I am a vampire, the king of vampires and you are going to be my queen." I said softly standing in front of her. She pushed her self against the wall trying to get as far away from me as possible. I didn't like this so I slammed my hands down either side of her head making her jump and then hiss at me as I kept her under my powerful gaze.

"I will never be your queen." She spat and a growl forced its way from my lips.

"You will listen to me and do as I say as you are now a vampire I am your ruler YOUR king so you will not disobey me." I shouted and her new crimson eyes shone with force as she glared at me. Hers eyes betrayed her demeanour as they looked at my face with longing and lust, more than anger but it was still there shining brightly in the background reminding me that she was a newborn and could most likely take me on with her strength.

"What do you want from me?" she asked her voice level and clear of any emotion. I search her face for any sign of trickery or potential attack but she looked like she just wanted answers.

"I want to get to know you." I said quietly and we just stood and looked at each other for awhile before she pushed my arms away so she could leave. "Where do you think you're going?" I questioned and she opened the door and took one step out before I half blocked her path. "I asked a question." I stated sternly my anger growing dangerously, I didn't want to hurt her or insult her in any way but if any other vampire or human had been in this situation they most definitely wouldn't still be standing on two feet.

"I'm going home." She said and tried to push past but I stopped her this time.

"You are home and before you ask no you can not leave without my permission." I said with a smirk and she growled. It was a beautiful sound to my ears.

"You can not keep me here forcefully." She hissed and her eyes flashed with emotion as she looked at my face, it was as if she was just realising I was here. A sudden warmness hit my chest as we stood there looking at each other her eyes intense and captivating, she held me in her gaze like a stunned animal. Emotions I had never felt before swept through me as she raised a hand to my face her soft palm caressed my cheek and heat flared where she touched me.

My mouth was open in shock of the feeling and her face was a mirror of mine before she quickly snatched her hand away and broke eye contact, she turned and walked away from me. I was left in shock not sure what had happened but sure that I wanted it to happen again and that meant I needed to be with her, the warmness in the chest cooled as she got further away and it was almost painful. It must have been the mating pull and with that one thought I raced after her not needing to use her delight scent because the pull in my chest took me to her.


End file.
